THE BUZZ: California’s disappearing U.S. Senate race: It’s the first open U.S. Senate seat in the Golden State in more than two decades and (judging from the activity of Sen. Dianne Feinstein lately) it could be a while until California sees another. But the critically important statewide contest has been getting big-footed by the coverage and frenzy over the 2016 presidential contest and now, the nail-biting over the June 7 presidential primary.

-- The relative inattention to U.S. Senate candidates, their platforms, their views on key issues, and their (in some cases, practically nonexistent) campaign appearances prompted an unusual move from GOP candidate George “Duf” Sundheim this week. The former state party chair sent out a release and pleaded with voters to watch the first televised U.S. Senate debate, live from the University of the Pacific, which has gotten only passing mention in the media.

DETAILS: It’s scheduled for Monday, April 25 at 6 p.m., bringing together on stage for the first time the lead candidates on both sides -- Democrats AG Kamala Harris and Rep. Loretta Sanchez of Orange County; former state GOP chairs Sundheim and Tom Del Beccaro, and GOP activist Ron Unz.

-- Sundheim’s plea: “This is the first big opportunity for me to show the people of California my plan to lead our state into a better and brighter future. This debate is about you, so I hope you have the chance to watch. You can catch the debate on these channels: KCRA Sacramento, KNTV San Francisco/Oakland/San Jose, KSBW Salinas/Monterey, KGTV San Diego, KCOP Los Angeles.”

Some key points: “You must be registered to vote at your current address by Monday, May 23.” Check your registration via your County Registrar of Voters.

-- Unlike other elections, your presidential primary voting right “depends on the political party you are registered with.. If you are registered with a political party, you can only vote for a candidate running for President in that party.”

-- If you’re “no party preference,” you can vote in the Democratic primary, but you have to request a ballot beforehand if voting by mail.

-- If you want to vote for a Republican Presidential candidate, you must be registered with the Republican Party. Link to the full guide:http://bit.ly/1NBQBoU

-- “Donald Trump's Road to Washington Goes Through Fresno,’’ by Joel B. Pollak via Breitbart: “For Trump to clinch the nomination, he has to do very well in the remaining contests, plus win a large majority of delegates in California — as many as 130, according to the Associated Press, representing victory in 39 out of the state’s 53 congressional districts. As Breitbart News analysis has determined, that almost certainly means Trump has to win at least one or two districts in Cruz strongholds in the Central Valley of California, with large numbers of Latino and evangelical voters.” http://bit.ly/1Vky0FQ

-- “Trump Campaign Sets Big Goals as California Primary Looms,” by KQED’s Katie Orr: “On the Republican side, Sen. Ted Cruz is thought to have the best-organized ground game in California. But Donald Trump is making his presence known. The campaign recently hired Republican strategist Tim Clark as its state director. And Clark is aiming high.“We have 172 delegates in California. And our intention is to deliver 172 delegates to the National Convention for Donald Trump,” Clark says.” http://bit.ly/1SbGgW6

-- “Google's chief futurist thinks we could start living forever by 2029,’’ by Brandt Ranj, Business Insider: Ray Kurzweil ‘is one of the biggest believers in The Singularity, the moment when humans — with the aid of technology —will supposedly live forever.’ He's chosen the year 2045 because, according to his calculations, ‘The nonbiological intelligence created in that year will reach a level that’s a billion times more powerful than all human intelligence today.’" http://read.bi/1SuFuT5

-- EN SERIO? -- “Spanish declines and English is on the rise among US Latinos,” by LATimes’ Cindy Carcamo: “Nearly half of these U.S.-born youth are younger than 18 and 88 percent speak only English at home or speak English very well, according to the 2014 data. That's up from 73 percent in 2000. Among millennial Latinos - ages 18 to 33 - the share who speak only English at home or say they speak English very well rose from 59 percent to 76 percent during the same time.” http://bit.ly/1U6NmMN

WELCOME to POLITICO’s California Playbook! Got tips, story ideas, events, news releases or birthdays you think we should know about? Contact Carla Marinucci @cmarinucci. Or drop us an email at cmarinucci@politico.com or aweber@politico.com

-- “Half-Mile Smuggling Tunnel Is Longest Yet Discovered,’’ via Times of San Diego: Federal authorities said Wednesday the new drug-smuggling tunnel uncovered in Otay Mesa is the longest one ever found in California — a half-mile passage outfitted with lights, a ventilation system and an elevator.” http://bit.ly/1SUd9me

-- “Los Angeles and Bakersfield top list of worst air pollution in the nation,’’ via AP: Bakersfield tops the list for having the most unhealthy days from airborne particles spewed by highway traffic, diesel trucks, farm equipment and fireplaces, the American Lung Assn.'s State of the Air 2016 report says. Los Angeles remains the nation's leader in harmful ozone pollution from car tailpipes emissions, the report says. http://lat.ms/1QoA9rT

-- “Valley has ‘F’ air, Lung Association says; data outdated, locals say,” by the Fresno Bee’s Mark Benjamin: “On the positive side, the report said, air quality has improved for both ozone and particulate matter. Dating to 2004, the report said, unhealthy air days for particulates fell 37 percent, largely because of more wood-burning restrictions.“ http://bit.ly/1r0wKep

-- “State Senate plans a hearing on the blackout claims from the Aliso Canyon report,’’ by LATimes’ Ivan Penn: “Members of the Senate Energy, Utilities and Commerce Committee have scheduled a May 10 hearing about the warnings of blackouts in a report released this month by the California Energy Commission, the California Public Utilities Commission and the California Independent System Operator.” http://lat.ms/1SUa6dL

-- “Students And Protesters Brawl Over School's New Gender Neutral Bathrooms” in the LAist: ”While the school's choice to introduce a gender-neutral bathroom to the school’s campus last Thursday has been widely praised, evidently not everyone is happy. Lining the sidewalk across the street from the school’s campus, protesters held a large banner sign that said ‘Homo Sex Is Sin,’ while shouting provocative jeers with a bullhorn directed towards the students who had been just dismissed from their day at school. In a video obtained by NBC, one of the protestors can be heard saying ‘burn in hell, Santee.’” http://bit.ly/1Vk7pst

-- NO THERE, THERE? -- You won’t believe the official slogan Oakland just adopted, by SFChronicle’s Debra J. Saunders: “This month, Oakland’s City Council voted 5-3 vote to adopt ‘Love Life’ as the city’s motto. Supporters of the new slogan meant well — and really who can object to an exhortation to love life? But in an age where everything is over-complicated, the snappy marketing phrase is fraught with potholes and politics. And because it’s Oaktown — racial politics.” http://bit.ly/1SlGyGt

-- LAST LAUGH -- “Women kicked off Napa wine train 'for laughing' settle racial discrimination suit,” by the Guardian’s Rupert Neate: “The 11 women – 10 black and one white – had sued for $11m for racial discrimination after they were kicked off the train because of their ‘offensive laughter’. Their expulsion from the train, last August, sparked widespread anger on social media with the hashtag #LaughingWhileBlack trending across the country.” http://bit.ly/1Qo0VRn

-- “4 in 5 of San Francisco's millennials say they've given up on ever owning a home here,” by San Francisco Business Times’ Riley McDermid: “A new study has found that millennials in San Francisco "significantly underestimate" the amount of money they will need to save for a down payment on a home here and, at current rates, would need to save nearly three decades to afford one – if they can do so at all.” http://bit.ly/23KkFvb

-- “Garcetti's budget proposal: Homeless spending depends on developer fees, land sales,” via KPCC: “The mayor's proposed budget counts on his new Affordable Housing Linkage Fee — which the City Council has not yet acted on — generating $20 million for low income housing in the coming fiscal year. Another $47 million would come in the form of property the city would use or sell to others to develop affordable housing projects which the administration said would reduce homelessness. http://bit.ly/1VFzryk

-- “Thousands puff for legal pot on 4/20,’’ By AP’s Paul Elias: “It could be the last unofficial pot holiday on which users have to call for legalization in California, with a pot initiative expected on the November ballot. The drug's use for medical purposes got approved in 1996.” http://bit.ly/1SuGOp0

-- “Marijuana legalization headed for California ballot,’’ by SacBee’s Christopher Cadelago: “The November initiative to legitimize recreational pot for adults 21 and over is gaining momentum as we approach the end of the signature-gathering process. Supporters, ranging from drug policy reformers to state medical doctors and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, are approaching Tuesday’s suggested deadline set by the Secretary of State for campaigns to file signatures with county election offices. Spokesman Jason Kinney….said proponents are well on their way. “http://bit.ly/1XJ4BCZ

-- Small cannabis growers roll out ‘California Way’ ad campaign,’’ by SFChronicle’s Joe Garofoli: “The billboards, bus ads and online videos popping up around the Bay Area this week look like they could be hawking beer or coffee or kale. Over a photo of a soil-covered hand caressing a tiny plant are the words: “Craft farmers. Small batch. Sustainable. The California Way.” http://bit.ly/1QnPAAL

HOLLYWOODLAND:

-- “Power Lawyers 2016: Hollywood's Top 100 Attorneys,” via The Hollywood Reporter: “This year, the list features Hulk Hogan’s Gawker slayers, the negotiators behind Wanda’s $3.5 billion purchase of Legendary Entertainment, both sides of the Kesha v. Dr. Luke mess, Sean Penn’s pit bull (who is threatening to take a $10 million bite out of Empire co-creator Lee Daniels) and slew of other attorneys who keep Hollywood running, no matter what the season.” http://bit.ly/1T0ADq5

VALLEYLAND:

-- “Uber More Than Doubles Spending On Lobbying -- But Google Still Tops Silicon Valley,’’ by Buzzfeed’s Hamza Shaban: http://bzfd.it/1VGEYow

-- “Uber and Lyft surge pricing bill dies,” by LATimes’ Liam Dillon: “An effort by a state senator to regulate surge pricing by Uber, Lyft and other ridesharing companies failed in a Senate committee Tuesday.” http://lat.ms/1r0wFat

-- “Tech’s biggest names are stashing billions in offshore havens,’’ by Center for Investigative Reporting/Reveal’s Will Evans: “Airbnb, star of the ‘sharing economy,’ is ‘committed to strengthening the neighborhoods and cities we serve.’ Uber is ‘passionate about the cities we call home.’ Google wants ‘A better world, faster.’ Facebook has its own’“social good’ team. But as much as Silicon Valley powerhouses love to tout their efforts to give back to their communities and make the world a better place, they also love to hide their money in tax havens.” http://bit.ly/1VChXDR

-- “Google Reaps Harvest of Obama Support,” by Breitbart’s Mike Flynn: “In the 2012 election cycle, Google employees donated a princely $804,249 to President Obama’s re-election effort. Only employees at Microsoft and the University of California donated more, and each have more than double the number of employees as Google. In 2008, Google employees contributed $817,855 to Obama’s election campaign.” http://bit.ly/1Slfx6i

-- “Apple obliging most of government's user-data requests,” by San Jose Mercury News’ Patrick May: “Even as Apple continues its high-profile campaign of resistance to the FBI's attempts to hack into one of its iPhones, the release Tuesday of the company's biannual transparency report shows law enforcement agencies in the second half of 2015 quietly made 4,000 requests for user data from more than 16,000 devices and that Apple in most cases obliged them.” http://bayareane.ws/1XJdCvP

-- Theranos board member defends embattled CEO Elizabeth Holmes, charges “misinformation,’’ via CNBC: “Dick Kovacevich, the former Wells Fargo CEO and current Theranos board member, defended the embattled lab testing start-up's boss Elizabeth Holmes on Wednesday. ‘I think there will be some information coming out soon that will show that indeed there was misinformation that was put out in the public domain,’ he told CNBC's ‘Squawk on the Street,’ adding what has happened to her is ‘unfair.’” http://cnb.cx/1qEemYg

-- h/t POLITICO Media Pro: YAHOO’S NEW BIDDERS: Re/code’s Kara Swisher reports that three former Yahoo executives might be in the running to buy Yahoo. Former Yahoo interim CEO Ross Levinsohn, Ken Fuchs and Bill Wise would be involved in a partnership between Bain Capital and Vista Equity Partners, which submitted a bid for the company yesterday. Verizon is considered to be the favorite to win the bid for Yahoo in a deal that is estimated to be anywhere from $6 billion to $8 billion. http://on.recode.net/23YRcui

-- “The 14 highest-paying Bay Area tech companies,” by San Francisco Business Times’ Annie Gaus: “According to a survey by Glassdoor, more than half of the top-paying companies – by base salary and total compensation – are tech companies based in the Bay Area.” http://bit.ly/1MITREc

-- “13 Startups Chosen for San Francisco Regional 'Startup in Residence' Program,” by Government Technology’s Jason Shueh: “The partnerships were announced as part of the San Francisco Mayor's Office of Civic Innovation’s Startup in Residence Program (STiR). After a two-year hiatus, the program returned officially on Jan. 28 with support and participation from the neighboring cities of Oakland, San Leandro and West Sacramento.” http://bit.ly/22Ozibh

CAMPAIGNS #2016:

-- “Chevron-funded mailer calls Cheryl Brown ‘environmental champion’’ by SacBee’s Taryn Luna: “The San Bernardino Democrat is a member of the moderate caucus in the Assembly, which drew the ire of environmental and labor groups for helping to water down major climate change legislation last year.”

“Some organizations, including the United Food and Commercial Workers, Western States Council and the local Sierra Club chapter, have backed a fellow Democrat against her, attorney Eloise Gomez, for the 47th Assembly district seat in inland Southern California. The mailer, which hails Brown’s record on environmental legislation, was paid for by an independent expenditure committee heavily funded by Chevron Corp. The company recently gave $1 million to the group.” http://bit.ly/1VloaUe

-- VIDEO OF THE DAY -- State Senate candidate Jane Kim, the SF supervisor, kicked off her first video of the campaign with a kick, literally. Campaign release: "Fight" puts the spotlight on her advocacy for working families – and her black belt in taekwondo.” Link:https://youtu.be/qPdhr4ekiaY

-- Students Matter, the group which sponsored which the landmark education equality case Vergara v. California, has issued an open letter to Governor Jerry Brown and the California Legislature urging them “to provide much-needed leadership on ensuring equal access to effective teachers for all California students.”

“California is the only state that has refused to implement commonsense measures to safeguard students’ right to effective teachers, even in the face of overwhelming evidence.” Link to letter:http://bit.ly/1VCrxqh

CAN’T MAKE THIS UP DEPT:

-- “Dolores Park’s open-air public pissoir prompts suit,’’ by SFChronicle’s C.W. Nevius: “Everybody had the same question -- did you try it out? Let’s put it this way: I assumed the position, but I didn’t free Willy.” http://bit.ly/1Sl8jix

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THE FIGHT OVER THE NATION’S WAISTLINE—First Lady, Michelle Obama’s mission to encourage healthy eating and reduce childhood obesity rates has been met with some opposition on Capitol Hill and put her at odds with everyone from the sugar industry to school parents. In the latest special edition of the Agenda, POLITICO’s policy magazine explores how the First Lady, helped engineer changes in American eating habits. Read More: http://politi.co/1SU9OIH